A supercapacitor module

Abstract

The application provides a super capacitor module applied to the super capacitor energy storage technical field, wherein the super capacitor module comprises a mounting shell, a cell module, a connecting strip assembly, a lower pouring sealant layer and an upper pouring sealant layer; the mounting shell defines a containing chamber with an upper end opening; the cell module is received from the upper end opening and positioned in the containing chamber; the connecting strip assembly is located at the top end of the cell module and used for connecting electrodes in the cell module; the lower pouring sealant layer is solidified in the containing chamber and extends in the thickness direction from the bottom of the containing chamber to at least the bottom end of the cell module; the upper pouring sealant layer is solidified in the containing chamber and extends in the thickness direction from the top of the lower pouring sealant layer to cover the whole cell module and expose the top connecting strip assembly; the thermal conductivity coefficients of the upper and lower pouring sealant layers are both not more than 0.2 W / (m*K); the thermal conductivity coefficient of the upper pouring sealant layer is lower than that of the lower pouring sealant layer; and the super capacitor module can solve the influence of cell thermal runaway on adjacent cells.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of supercapacitor energy storage technology, specifically to a supercapacitor module. Background Technology

[0002] Cylindrical supercapacitor modules have a wide range of applications, including conventional energy storage and power energy storage. These modules utilize cylindrical cells, requiring high energy density and strong vibration resistance. In particular, the new national standard GB44240-2024 mandates testing for controlling thermal runaway in the cells, placing increasingly stringent requirements on modules. In practical applications, to ensure module energy density, the cells are densely packed. When a single cell experiences extreme conditions leading to thermal runaway, the temperature of the runaway cell rises sharply, causing the electrolyte to spray upwards and ignite secondary. The heat generated by this cell is transferred to adjacent cells, causing them to trigger thermal runaway again, creating a chain reaction and resulting in even greater damage. Therefore, addressing the thermal runaway problem is a crucial consideration in the safety design of modules.

[0003] In existing technologies, cylindrical battery cells are typically fixed using upper and lower high-temperature resistant plastic supports. When a cell experiences thermal runaway, its temperature can exceed 400 degrees Celsius. Especially with the ejected electrolyte spreading and causing secondary combustion, the high-temperature plastic supports melt and fuel the fire, exacerbating thermal runaway. Another approach uses aerogel or high-temperature insulation cotton to insulate the upper part of the entire module's cells. This solution is costly and struggles to completely prevent thermal runaway. When electrolyte from one cell sprays onto other cells, it can trigger secondary combustion, further intensifying thermal runaway.

[0004] For example, Chinese patent CN219873783U, published on October 20, 2023, discloses a cylindrical battery module and an electric vehicle. This patent uses upper and lower plastic brackets to lock and fix the battery cell array, a common solution on the market. However, there is no thermal insulation between the cells. If thermal runaway occurs, the electrolyte spraying can trigger a chain reaction, potentially igniting adjacent cells and plastic components. Another patent uses partial potting compound to structurally fix the cells, with the explosion-proof valve facing downwards. Below the valve, a corresponding plastic component partially blocks the pressure relief vent. When pressure is released, the plastic component structure can be broken, allowing the released gas to escape. However, in reality, this plastic component can still be ignited again. The isolation effect of thermal runaway is limited; after pressure release, the electrolyte inside the cell can still spray onto adjacent cells and reignite.

[0005] Therefore, how to completely cut off the thermal diffusion of runaway cells and the secondary combustion caused by electrolyte spraying has become an urgent technical problem to be solved in the field of supercapacitor modules. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, the embodiments of this specification provide a supercapacitor module to solve the above-mentioned technical problems existing in the current supercapacitor module field.

[0007] The embodiments in this specification provide the following technical solutions:

[0008] Firstly, a supercapacitor module is provided, comprising: a mounting housing defining a receiving chamber with an upper opening; a cell module received and positioned within the receiving chamber from the upper opening; a connector assembly located at the top of the cell module for connecting electrodes in the cell module; a lower potting compound layer cured within the receiving chamber and extending in the thickness direction from the bottom of the receiving chamber to cover the bottom end of the cell module; and an upper potting compound layer cured within the receiving chamber and extending in the thickness direction from the top of the lower heat-insulating compound layer to cover the entire cell module and expose the top connector assembly; wherein the upper and lower potting compounds fill the gaps between adjacent cells in the cell module to isolate the cells, and the thermal conductivity of both the upper and lower potting compounds does not exceed 0.2 W / (m·K), wherein the thermal conductivity of the upper potting compound layer is lower than that of the lower potting compound layer.

[0009] To optimize the above solution, the following technical measures were also adopted:

[0010] As one embodiment, the thickness ratio of the lower potting compound layer to the upper potting compound layer is 6:1 to 10:1.

[0011] As one embodiment, the thickness ratio of the lower potting compound layer to the upper potting compound layer is 8:1 to 9:1.

[0012] As one embodiment, the upper potting compound layer is made of a high-temperature potting compound with a temperature resistance of not less than 1000°C.

[0013] As one embodiment, both the lower potting compound layer and the upper potting compound layer are made of silicone-based potting compound.

[0014] In one embodiment, an end cap is formed on the top of the battery cell in the battery cell module, and the electrodes of the individual battery cells in the battery cell module are formed on the corresponding end caps. The connecting bus assembly is laser welded to the electrodes in the battery cell module, and the top of the lower potting compound layer is 10-20 mm away from the end cap surface of the top of the battery cell in the battery cell module in the thickness direction.

[0015] In one embodiment, the bottom of the receiving chamber is provided with a plurality of positioning parts, each of which corresponds to a plurality of battery cells in the battery cell module, and the bottom of each battery cell is adapted to be inserted into the corresponding positioning part.

[0016] In one embodiment, the battery cell module is composed of an array of multiple cylindrical battery cells, and the positioning part is a circular positioning slot formed at the bottom of the receiving chamber, in which the cylindrical battery cells are inserted.

[0017] As one embodiment, it also includes a data acquisition board and an equalization board. The data acquisition board is fixed on the top of the upper potting compound layer and connected to the exposed connection bar assembly via a connecting key, and is used to acquire the voltage of each individual cell in real time. The equalization board is fixed on the mounting housing and connected to the data acquisition board via a high-temperature wiring harness, and is used to balance the voltage differences of each individual cell in the cell module.

[0018] In one embodiment, the connection bus assembly includes an intra-group connection bus, a positive connection bus, and a negative connection bus. The intra-group connection bus is used for conductive connection between adjacent cells in the cell module. The positive connection bus has an external positive terminal and an internal positive terminal. The internal positive terminal is connected to the positive terminal of the cell that serves as the positive terminal of the module. The negative connection bus has an external negative terminal and an internal negative terminal. The internal negative terminal is connected to the negative terminal of the cell that serves as the negative terminal of the module. The mounting housing has a positive terminal sub-slot and a negative terminal sub-slot that protrude outward from the housing surface and communicate with the receiving chamber. The external positive terminal is fixed in the positive terminal sub-slot, and the external negative terminal is fixed in the negative terminal sub-slot.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects that at least one technical solution adopted in the embodiments of this specification can achieve include at least:

[0020] Firstly, in this solution, after the battery cell module is installed and positioned in the housing, a lower potting compound layer and an upper potting compound layer are formed through two potting and curing processes. The lower potting compound layer can be made of structural potting compound with a low thermal conductivity, which can fix the battery cell and isolate the heat diffusion of the battery cell. The upper potting compound layer can be made of potting compound with an even lower thermal conductivity. Since it covers the entire battery cell, it can prevent the electrolyte sprayed out by one battery cell due to thermal runaway from falling onto other battery cells and causing secondary combustion.

[0021] Secondly, in this solution, the connector assembly is exposed from the upper potting compound layer. Since the connector assembly is made of metal conductor, it has good thermal conductivity, which can quickly dissipate heat from the entire module or battery pack, improving the reliability of the module during long-term operation. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the housing in an embodiment of this application;

[0025] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperative structure of the battery cell module and the connector assembly in an embodiment of this application;

[0026] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the battery cell module from a first-view perspective in an embodiment of this application;

[0027] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the installation structure of the battery cell module from a second perspective in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the lower potting compound layer after potting and curing in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure after the upper potting adhesive layer has been potted and cured in the embodiments of this application.

[0030] Figure Labels

[0031] 1. Supercapacitor module; 11. Mounting housing; 111. Mounting part; 112. Receiving chamber; 113. Positioning part; 114. Negative terminal slot; 115. Positive terminal slot; 12. Acquisition board; 13. Connecting bus assembly; 131. Cell; 132. Intra-group connecting bus; 133. Negative terminal connecting bus; 134. Positive terminal connecting bus; 14. Lower potting compound layer; 15. High-temperature wiring harness; 16. Equalization board; 17. Upper potting compound layer. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of this application. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of this application from the content disclosed in this specification. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. This application can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and the details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of this application. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0034] It should be noted that various aspects of embodiments within the scope of the appended claims are described below. It will be apparent that the aspects described herein can be embodied in a wide variety of forms, and any particular structure and / or function described herein is merely illustrative. Based on this application, those skilled in the art will understand that one aspect described herein can be implemented independently of any other aspect, and two or more of these aspects can be combined in various ways. For example, any number and aspects set forth herein can be used to implement the device and / or practice the method. Additionally, this device and / or method can be implemented using structures and / or functionalities other than one or more of the aspects set forth herein.

[0035] It should also be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of this application. The drawings only show the components related to this application and are not drawn according to the actual number, shape and size of the components in the actual implementation. In the actual implementation, the form, quantity and proportion of each component can be arbitrarily changed, and the layout of the components may also be more complex.

[0036] This specification provides an embodiment of a supercapacitor module 1 and a battery pack, such as... Figure 1 As shown, this invention aims to solve the technical problem in existing technologies where plastic parts or potting compounds are used to fix the battery cells, which does not completely cut off the thermal diffusion of runaway battery cells and the spraying of electrolyte, thus leading to secondary combustion. It can not only solve the impact of battery cell thermal runaway on adjacent battery cells and completely cut off the secondary combustion caused by thermal diffusion and electrolyte spraying, but also does not affect the heat dissipation performance of the energy storage module. The heat generated in the module can be discharged in time to prevent heat accumulation and further improve the safety of the module during operation.

[0037] The technical solutions provided by the various embodiments of this application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] like Figures 1 to 3As shown in the figure, the supercapacitor module 1 provided in the embodiments of this specification includes a mounting housing 11, a cell module, a connecting bus assembly 13, a lower potting compound layer 14, and an upper potting compound layer 17. The mounting housing is made of a high-temperature resistant material such as PPS or aluminum alloy. The mounting housing 11 defines a receiving chamber 112 with an open upper end, as shown in the figure. Here, the receiving chamber 112 is generally a rectangular chamber. An encapsulation end cap (not shown in the figure) is installed on the top of the receiving chamber 112. A vertical cylindrical mounting part 111 is constructed on the inner wall of the receiving chamber 112. The encapsulation end cap has a connecting part that engages with the mounting part 111. A conical positioning member is constructed at the center of the bottom of the receiving chamber 112 for positioning and docking between the encapsulation end cap and the mounting housing 11. The upper ends of the mounting part 111 and the conical positioning member still protrude upward from the upper potting compound layer 17 after two potting processes to facilitate the mating connection between the mounting housing 11 and the encapsulation end cap.

[0039] The cell module is received and positioned in the receiving chamber 112 through the upper opening. Here, the cell module refers to a cell array composed of multiple individual cells arranged in a certain order, without including the connecting row assembly 13. The individual cell 113 mentioned here is a cylindrical cell. In other ways, it can also be a square cell or a cell of other customized shape. There are no restrictions here. Here, the connecting strip assembly 13 is located at the top of the cell module and is used to connect the electrodes in the cell module. The lower potting compound layer 14 is cured in the receiving chamber 112 and extends at least from the bottom of the receiving chamber 112 to cover the bottom of the cell module in the thickness direction. The upper potting compound layer 17 is cured in the receiving chamber 112 and extends from the top of the lower heat insulation compound layer to cover the entire cell module in the thickness direction, exposing the top connecting strip assembly 13. The upper and lower potting compound layers fill the gaps between adjacent cells 131 in the cell module to isolate each cell 131. Both the upper and lower potting compound layers are heat insulation compounds with a thermal conductivity of no more than 0.2 W / (m·K). The thermal conductivity of the upper potting compound layer 17 is lower than that of the lower potting compound layer 14.

[0040] In this embodiment, after the battery cell module is installed and positioned in the receiving chamber 112 of the mounting housing 11, the position of the battery cell is not fixed by a plastic bracket. Instead, a lower potting compound layer 14 and an upper potting compound layer 17 are formed through a two-stage potting and curing process. The lower potting compound layer 14, made of structural potting compound, serves as the main body to fix the position of the battery cell. At the same time, the upper potting compound layer 17 can further stabilize the position of the battery cell after curing, making the overall structure after the module is formed more robust and stable. Besides securing the battery cells, both the lower potting compound layer 14 and the upper potting compound layer 17 have a thermal conductivity of no more than 0.2 W / (m·K). This low thermal conductivity isolates the heat diffusion from the battery cells. Furthermore, the upper potting compound layer 17 is made of a high-temperature resistant potting compound with even lower thermal conductivity. Since it covers the entire battery cell, even if electrolyte from one battery cell is ejected from the pressure relief valve, it will only fall onto this potting compound layer and not onto other battery cells. This prevents secondary combustion caused by electrolyte ejected from one battery cell due to thermal runaway. In addition, the connector assembly 13 is exposed from the upper potting compound layer 17. Since the connector assembly is made of a metal conductor, it has good thermal conductivity, allowing for rapid heat dissipation of the entire module or battery pack, thus improving the reliability of the module during long-term operation.

[0041] In this embodiment, the thickness ratio of the lower potting compound layer 14 to the upper potting compound layer 17 is 6:1 to 10:1. Optionally, the thickness ratio of the lower potting compound layer 14 to the upper potting compound layer 17 is 8:1. In this way, the lower potting compound layer 14 serves as the main body, fixing the battery cell and isolating the relatively low-temperature heat diffusion on the battery cell. The upper potting compound layer 17 mainly prevents the electrolyte generated by the thermal runaway of the battery cell from acting on other battery cells. It requires a potting compound with a lower thermal conductivity and a higher temperature tolerance, thus increasing the cost. Through the above thickness ratio design, the structural strength after molding can be ensured, the impact of the thermal runaway of the battery cell on adjacent battery cells can be solved, and the production cost can be saved to the maximum extent.

[0042] Specifically, the upper potting compound layer 17 is made of a high-temperature potting compound with a temperature resistance of not less than 1000°C, such as aluminosilicate high-temperature potting compound. In one embodiment, both the lower potting compound layer 14 and the upper potting compound layer 17 are made of silicone potting compound. After curing, the silicone potting compound is an elastic colloid, which can effectively eliminate the mechanical stress generated inside the compound layer, resulting in excellent vibration resistance of the module. Furthermore, after curing, the colloid has good heat insulation and temperature resistance, which can fully meet the usage requirements.

[0043] In this embodiment, an end cap is constructed on the top of the battery cell 131 in the battery cell module. The electrodes of the individual battery cell 131 in the battery cell module are formed on the corresponding end caps. In some embodiments, a pressure relief valve is also constructed on the end cap. The connecting assembly 13 is laser welded to the electrodes in the battery cell module. The top of the upper and lower potting adhesive layers 14 in the thickness direction is 10-20mm away from the end cap surface of the top of the battery cell 131 in the battery cell module, thus providing sufficient operating space and spacing for the filling of adhesive in the upper potting adhesive layer 17.

[0044] like Figure 2 As shown, a plurality of positioning parts 113 are closely arranged at the bottom of the receiving chamber 112. The plurality of positioning parts 113 correspond one-to-one with a plurality of battery cells 131 in the battery cell module, and the bottom of the battery cell 131 is adapted to be inserted into the corresponding positioning part 113.

[0045] In this embodiment, the battery module is composed of an array of multiple cylindrical batteries 131. The positioning part 113 is a circular positioning slot formed at the bottom of the receiving chamber 112, and the cylindrical batteries 131 are inserted into the corresponding positioning slots. Furthermore, the sidewalls of two adjacent positioning parts 113 are adjacent to each other, and the sum of the thicknesses of the two sidewalls defines the width of the gap between the two adjacent batteries that can be filled with potting compound.

[0046] In other embodiments, the positioning part 113 is composed of a plurality of arc-shaped teeth centered on a set axis. The cylindrical battery cell 131 is inserted into the circular area defined by the plurality of arc-shaped teeth to complete its own positioning. Such a structure can further meet the requirements of lightweighting.

[0047] To ensure the safety and efficiency of supercapacitor module 1 during operation, such as Figure 1 As shown, the supercapacitor module 1 also includes a data acquisition board 12 and an equalization board 16. The data acquisition board 12 is fixed on the top of the upper potting layer 17 and connected to the exposed connection assembly 13 via a connecting key. It is used to acquire the voltage of each individual cell 131 in real time. The equalization board 16 is fixed on the mounting housing 11 and connected to the data acquisition board 12 via a high-temperature wiring harness 15. It is used to balance the voltage differences of each individual cell 131 in the cell 131 module and avoid safety hazards caused by local overheating or voltage abnormalities.

[0048] In this embodiment, the connection bus assembly 13 includes an intra-group connection bus 132, a positive connection bus 134, and a negative connection bus 133. The intra-group connection bus 132 is used for conductive connection between adjacent cells 131 in the cell 131 module. The positive connection bus 134 has an external positive terminal and an internal positive terminal. The internal positive terminal is connected to the positive terminal of the cell 131, which serves as the positive terminal of the module. The negative connection bus 133 has an external negative terminal and an internal negative terminal. The internal negative terminal is connected to the negative terminal of the cell 131, which serves as the negative terminal of the module. The mounting housing 11 has a positive terminal sub-slot 115 and a negative terminal sub-slot 114 that protrude outward from the housing surface and communicate with the receiving chamber 112. The external positive terminal is fixed in the positive terminal sub-slot 115, and the external negative terminal is fixed in the negative terminal sub-slot 114.

[0049] In summary, in this embodiment, as Figures 4 to 5 As shown, before assembly, the battery cell module is first fixed to the connecting bus assembly 13 by laser welding to form a complete bare mold. Then, the bare mold is installed and positioned in the receiving chamber 112 through the upper opening. The outer positive terminal of the positive connecting bus 134 is aligned and placed in the positive terminal slot 115, and the outer negative terminal of the negative connecting bus is aligned and placed in the negative terminal slot 114. After the battery cell module is installed, as shown... Figures 6 to 7 As shown, structural potting compound is poured in, with the potting compound penetrating to a depth of 10-20 mm from the cell end cap. After the potting compound initially solidifies, a lower potting compound layer 14 is formed. High-temperature potting compound is then poured in until it covers the entire cell and exposes the connector assembly 13. After curing, an upper potting compound layer 17 is formed. Through two potting processes, the cell can be fixed, and thermal diffusion of the cell can be isolated. It can also prevent secondary combustion caused by electrolyte ejection from a cell due to thermal runaway.

[0050] In this specification, the same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, the descriptions of the embodiments described later are relatively simple, and relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions of the foregoing embodiments.

[0051] The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A supercapacitor module, characterized in that, include: The housing is installed to define a receiving chamber with an opening at the top; The battery cell module is received and positioned within the receiving chamber through the top opening; The connecting bus assembly, located at the top of the cell module, is used to connect the electrodes in the cell module; The lower potting compound layer is cured within the receiving cavity and extends at least in the thickness direction from the bottom of the receiving cavity to the bottom end covering the battery cell module; as well as The upper potting compound layer is cured in the receiving cavity and extends in the thickness direction from the top of the lower thermal insulation layer to cover the entire cell module and expose the top connector assembly; The upper and lower potting compounds fill the gaps between adjacent cells in the cell module to isolate each cell. The thermal conductivity of both the upper and lower potting compounds does not exceed 0.2 W / (m·K), and the thermal conductivity of the upper potting compound is lower than that of the lower potting compound.

2. The supercapacitor module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness ratio of the lower potting compound layer to the upper potting compound layer is 6:1 to 10:

1.

3. The supercapacitor module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness ratio of the lower potting compound layer to the upper potting compound layer is 8:1 to 9:

1.

4. The supercapacitor module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper potting compound layer is made of a high-temperature potting compound with a temperature resistance of not less than 1000℃.

5. The supercapacitor module according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the lower and upper potting layers are made of silicone-based potting compounds.

6. The supercapacitor module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the battery cell in the battery cell module is provided with an end cap, and the electrode of the individual battery cell in the battery cell module is formed on the corresponding end cap. The connecting bus assembly is laser welded to the electrode in the battery cell module. The top of the lower potting compound layer is 10-20 mm away from the end cap surface of the top of the battery cell in the battery cell module in the thickness direction.

7. The supercapacitor module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the receiving chamber is provided with a plurality of positioning parts, each of which corresponds to a plurality of battery cells in the battery cell module, and the bottom of each battery cell is adapted to be inserted into the corresponding positioning part.

8. The supercapacitor module according to claim 7, characterized in that, The battery cell module is composed of an array of multiple cylindrical battery cells, and the positioning part is a circular positioning slot formed at the bottom of the receiving chamber, in which the cylindrical battery cells are inserted.

9. The supercapacitor module according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a data acquisition board and a balancing board. The data acquisition board is fixed on top of the upper potting compound layer and connected to the exposed connector assembly via a connecting key. It is used to acquire the voltage of each individual cell in real time. The balancing board is fixed on the mounting housing and connected to the data acquisition board via a high-temperature wiring harness. It is used to balance the voltage differences of each individual cell in the cell module.

10. The supercapacitor module according to claim 1, characterized in that, The connection bus assembly includes an intra-group connection bus, a positive electrode connection bus, and a negative electrode connection bus, wherein the intra-group connection bus is used for conductive connection between adjacent cells in the cell module. The positive terminal connector has an external positive terminal and an internal positive terminal. The internal positive terminal is connected to the positive terminal of the battery cell, which serves as the positive terminal of the module. The negative terminal connector has an external negative terminal and an internal negative terminal. The internal negative terminal is connected to the negative terminal of the battery cell, which serves as the negative terminal of the module. The mounting housing has a positive terminal sub-slot and a negative terminal sub-slot that protrude outward from the housing surface and communicate with the receiving chamber. The external positive terminal is fixed in the positive terminal sub-slot, and the external negative terminal is fixed in the negative terminal sub-slot.

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